Since its inception in 1941, Clampitt Paper Co., headquartered in Dallas, has followed the same business philosophy founder Maxwell Clampitt created: sell only reliable products, back the products up with a knowledgeable sales force and provide each customer with excellent service.
As a result of Max Clampitt’s hard work and dedication to the business, Clampitt Paper has become one of the country’s largest independent distributor operations. Its unique in-house converting operation and paper sample service has also been a key to making the distributor a success over the years.
To improve sheeting efficiency, Clampitt installed an Airfoil Overlap System on its 57 in. sheeter.
The patented device controls the trailing edge of the sheet at the point of overlap.
“Whether our customer operate a small copier/word processing system or the most elaborate high-technology printing equipment, Clampitt Paper guarantees quality products and attentive service,” says Clampitt.
With its five Texas-based plants running full-time, Clampitt Paper custom sheets material to fill any order. Currently, the company can supply its printer customer with 57 different stocks, including opaques, coated and uncoated offset, Bristol and Tyvek.
While the company sells 80 percent of its material in webs or sheets converted by mills such as Union Camp, Scott, Mead and Crane, Clampitt Paper work closely with each mill to ensure only high quality products are purchased.
The remaining 20 percent is converted for customers’ special orders in-house. “Webs that are precision sheeted, trimmed and slitted on Clampitt’s equipment are put through extensive quality control tests,” says Clampitt. “Whether our customers are using the fifth or 500th sheet, they will be assured of a square cut.”
At Clampitt Paper, providing customers with quality material is not enough, says Clampitt. The company prides itself on supplying customers with precision-sheeted paper – in four days or less.
“While we can sell quality paper to printers like the mills, our advantage is being able to provide the added flexibility of quick turnaround,” he reports. “In the printing industry, we often face rush jobs and want our customers to depend on us for fast delivery when necessary.”
One way Clampitt Paper controls delivery time is by operating sheeting and slitting equipment in all five facilities. This enables the company to provide quality, precision-cut skids at a fraction of the time involved in obtaining the same product from the mill.
Clampitt’s commitment to providing the fastest turnaround time prompted the company to purchase several new pieces of equipment within the last year. One area that needed improvement was the sheeting operation, says Clampitt. The company had been utilizing a 20-year-old sheeter that produced clean skids, but at lower outputs.
Improving Sheeter Speeds
“We wanted a sheeter that would increase productivity, but had the ability to precision sheet all types and grades of paper as well as coated board,” he states. “After talking to other distributors in the industry, we selected a 57-in. MSL sheeter from Maxson Automatic Machinery Co.”
According to LeRoy Titman converting room supervisor, the new sheeter has allowed Clampitt Paper to increase the speed of its sheeting operation more than 30 percent. With an average running speed of 450 – 550 fpm, the MSL sheeter can produce over 50,000 lbs. Of skidded material during an 8-hour shift, he says.
One way the distributor operates at high speeds is to utilize four roll back stands simultaneously during sheeting. “While some of our orders are as small as 2,000 lbs.,” the average order is from 10,000 to 20,000 lbs.,” says Titman. “Once web setup is completed, we can get orders filled quickly.”
LeRoy Titman, converting room supervisor, ensures that all converted
material is quality inspected before it is sent to the customer.
To obtain maximum running efficiency, Clampitt Paper had Maxson install an Airfoil Overlap system which provides fast sheet feeding from the cutting section to the stacker. The patented system forces the tail end of the first sheet down, while forcing the leading edge of the oncoming sheet up to provide jam-free overlapping. Titman notes this feature is particularly important during operations where four webs are being cut at once, due to the quantity of sheet overlapping.
After material is sheeted, the company trims to size on one of its three guillotine trimmers. Operators rely on a four-pocket Lenox sheeter to precisely cut stock down to 8 ½ x 11-in., 20-lb. copy bond.
“We give printers a press-ready sheet of the exact size, eliminating their need to trim and absorb waste,” says Titman. “However, we plan to install a slitter rig on the sheeter, so we can avoid guillotine trimming on many orders.”
“Stress-Relief” Services
Providing quick delivery and cut-to-size material is not the only thing that allowed Clampitt Paper to grow from a three-man operation to a successful $80 million a year company. According to Max Clampitt, offering customers extra services is imperative.
“Being able to show a customer actual samples of paper stocks, weights and special treatments prior to a job saves time, money and frustration, so we set up a paper sample service,” notes Clampitt.
“Our sample room specialists can fulfill virtually any sample need in less than 24 hours, free of charge. We feel there are few sources in the Southwest that can match the variety of papers and treatments in sample form available from Clampitt Paper.”
The company maintains more than 1,000 different stocks on hand in sample form. All material is 12 ½ x 19 in. flat and can be sized to fit a customer’s exact requirements. The paper-testing equipment located in the sample room tests such variables as basis weight, tearing, folding, smoothness, brightness and opacity.
To take the guesswork out of specifications, Clampitt Paper can create a dummy copy incorporating saddle-stitching, prefect binding and others features. It also provides customers with finished samples of embossed, foil stamped or die-cut material.
Learning About Paper
Another unique service Clampitt Paper offers its customers is enrollment in the “paper school.” “For 25 years, the company has been teaching novice printers the fundamentals of the paper business,” says Clampitt. “we teach them everything they need to know about paper for their trade, so they can become excellent printers.”
The class is held every three months at Clampitt Paper’s Dallas facility and is open to any of the company’s customers and their employees. According to Clampitt, response to the school has been favorable – with 50 to 80 people enrolling each time. Some printers come back a second time after they’ve had experience in the industry, he adds, so they can learn about new developments.
“With the rapid growth and new technologies available in the paper trade, we strive to continue serving our industry through new products and marketing ideas,” Clampitt says. “We feel a certain responsibility for our customers beyond paper distribution. It’s what help us be successful.”
Reprinted from Paper Sales, April 1988
